ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how Roman male clothing and adornment could carry signs of status for Roman men. It examines lower-class colors, slave clothing and ornament, the concept of the male 'clotheshorse'; folds and cleanliness and how these indicated status, and finally sumptuary legislation and the morality of luxurious clothing. For some ancient Romans, plain and uniform costume was an aristocratic ideal as well. Some felt that the war against the nouveaux riches could best be waged by eschewing rich fabrics and ornament, assuming instead a frugal appearance. Aristocratic men could therefore claim moral leadership and status through inconspicuous consumption, and some no doubt embraced this. For some, in fact, fashioning an elegant and splendid appearance was not considered a betrayal of a masculine identity, but instead a means to realize it. Horace professed to believe that fine tunics only corrupt a man morally.
